Fastening means for uniting building members



H. HASE-NBURG'ER ET AL 22573499 Sept. 30, 1941.

' i I, Fk'STENIflG MEANS FOR unnmeebnnme MEMBERS "Filed April 4, 1940 TSz/Zl l Patented Sept. 30, 1941 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE FASTENINGMEANS FOR UNITING BUILDING MEMBERS Henry Hasenburger, Newark, N. J., andHarvey Wiley Corbett, New York, N. Y., assignors to Prebilt HousingCorporation, New York, N. Y.,

a corporation of Ohio Application April l, 1940, Serial No. 327,842

9 Claims.

posed of a plurality of preformed panels arranged, 1

when assembled, in a common plane, and wherein improved securing meansare provided between the adjoining longitudinal edge portions of eachpair of such panel units for the purpose of quickly uniting said unitsin secured association with an inwardly disposed supporting frame, thefastening means being of such character as to enable the panel units tobe assembled or disassembled without marring or injuring the same and tobe concealed from exterior view when the 2 panels are in assembled orfastened relationship.

With these and other objects in view, which will appear as thedescription proceeds, the invention consists in the novel features ofconstruction, combinations of elements and arrangements of partshereinafter more fully described and p0inted out in the appended claims.

In the accompanying drawing, forming a part of this specification and inwhich similar characters of reference denote like and correspondingparts throughout the several figures thereof:

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of the improved wall panel fastenercomprising the present invention;

Fig. 2 is a horizontal sectional view taken through a wall structure inwhich the fastening means comprising the present invention is mounted; 1

Fig. 3 is a vertical sectional view taken throug the wall structure onthe plane indicated by the line III-III of Fig. 2;

Fig. 4 is a similar view on the line IVIV of Fig. 2.

Referring more particularly to the drawing, the present invention isapplicable to a wall struc ture composed primarily of preformed, factoryfabricated wall panels of the type indicated at 1.

These panels may be formed from a number of different materials, such aspressed laminated plywoods, molded minerals of cementitious comenforcedplaster or plain wood. Such panels are available commercially and soldunder a wide number of trade names and virtually all these panels may beadapted to the uses of the present 5 invention for use in the forming ofroom side walls and ceilings.

As customary, the panels are provided with interfitting longitudinaledge portions, each panel having a shoulder extension 2 which acts as aseat for an inwardly offset tongue extension 3 formed with thecomplemental edge portions of an adjoining panel, a V groove 4 beingformed by beveling the outer surface of the extension 2 and thecorresponding surface of the adjoining panel, if

a desired. To adapt such panels tothe persent invention, it is onlynecessary to form therein, along one or more of its longitudinal edges,a longitudinal groove of the character indicated at 5.

Thepanels I are placed against a suitable supporting frame structure.Such a frame structure may comprise a pair of spaced rails 66, united bya spacer block 1, one of the rails 6 having its inner facelongitudinally grooved as at 8, so that the grooves 5 and 8 will extendin a parallel order.

tion 9 is formed with a laterally projecting flange H, which is slidablyreceived within the groove 8, while the extension l0 terminates at itsouter edge portion in an inturned wedge-shaped flange l2. The fasteneris' slidable along the length of the inner face of the rail 6 with whichit engages by virtue of the groove and flange construction 8 and l l andis retained in a desired fixed position by the provision of a tongue I3which is struck from the section 9 to extend in angular relationthereto, the outer end of the tongue being formed with a prong it. Theangularity of the tongue I3 is such that when the fastener is movedlongitudinally on its rail 6 in one direction, the pronged end of' thetongue slides freely over the opposite rail, but when the fastener ismoved longitudinally in a reverse direction, the prong will engage withthe rail 6a and bite into said rail to positively retain the fastener ina desired mounting position.

To secure the wall panels to this adjustable mounting bracket, there isprovided a metallic fastening clip l5. Each of these clips is formed toinclude abody portion it which terminates along one edge in an angularlybent flange ll position, asbestos, wood fiber compositions, re- 55formed to be slidably received between the adclip may be readily graspedfor effecting its movement on the flange l 2. It will be seen that insecuring a panel in mounted position on the supporting frame, the tongueextension 3 is first seated on the shoulder extension 2 of an adjoiningmounted panel. The

opposite longitudinal edge of the panel is then secured by placing oneor more of the brackets on the rail 6 and fastening said bracket in itsapplied position by the use of the tongue 13. The clip is then engagedwith the flanged edge I2 of the bracket with the flange ll of the clippositioned in the panel groove 5. By sliding the clip longitudinallyalong the flange [2,. toward the higher portions of said flange, theclip will become frictionally wedged in firm holding engagement with thepanel, supporting the latter securely against accidental displacement.This construction eliminates the necessity for nailing the panels inposition, provides a fastening means which may be connected with thepanel along any desired portion of its grooved longitudinal edge and,moreover, when mounted, the fastening means for the panel are concealedfrom exterior view. Similar convenience is obtainable in disassemblingthe wall-forming panels, accomplishing the result without in any wayinjuring or marring the panels for further use. The fastener enableswall panels to be assembled in rapid order, at low cost and without theuse of nails or other fasteners which would tend to injure 01 mar thepanels or cause the same to present an undesired appearance. Y

While the fastener set forth has been described as being particularlyadapted for use in the mounting of wall panels, it is obvious that saidfastener may be employed in other equivalent securing capacities inbuilding construction. For example, it may be usually employed inconnecting door and window trim frames to studding and the like or inuniting floor panels or sections to underlying joists. Other adaptationsand structural modifications will be apparent to'those skilled in theart and, therefore, the scope of the invention is defined in thefollowing claims.

What is claimed is:

1. Wall construction comprising spaced studs, a plurality ofwall-forming panels placed against said studs, one of said panels havingone of its longitudinal edges formed with a groove, a bracket verticallyadjustable between said studs, said bracket having a wedge-shapedflange, a movable slide member mounted on said bracket flange, and a lipformed with said slide member and receivable within the longitudinalgroove of said panel.

2. Wall construction comprising a pair of spaced studs, a panel engagingwith one of said studs, said panel having a groove in one of itslongitudinal edges, securing means for connecting said panel with thestud with which it is engaged comprising a bracket member having slidingfacial engagement with the side of the stud with which the panel memberis engaged, a wedge-shaped flange formed with said bracket member, and aslide member arranged for longitudinal movement 7 5 on said bracketflange, said slide member being formed with a lip movably receivedwithin the groove in the edge portion of the panel member.

3. Wall construction comprising a pair of spaced vertical studs, one ofsaid studs being longitudinally grooved, a fastening bracket havingfacial engagement with the grooved stud, a flange formed with saidfastening bracket and slidably receivable within the groove of saidstud, a resilient position retaining tongue projecting angularly fromsaid bracket, said tongue being formed with a pronged outer end adaptedfor engagement with the complemental face of the ungrooved stud, awedge-shaped flange formed with said bracket member, and a movableretaining member slidably mounted on said wedgeshaped flange.

4. A fastening device for building members comprising a bracket having abase-engaging facial portion, an angularly extending guide flangeformedwith one edge of said facial portion and receivable for longitudinalmovement on .said wedge-shaped flange, said slide member having meansformed therewith for uniting a separable building element with saidbracket and associated base member.

5. A fastener for uniting building members comprising a relativelystationary base bracket,

a wedge-shaped flange formed with said bracket; a slide memberdetachably positioned for longitudinal movement on said flange, saidslide member having one edge thereof grooved to receive said flange, anda laterally offset flange formed with the opposite edge portion of saidslide member, movement of said slide longitudinally of said wedge-shapedflange serving to vary the distance between said flanges. j

6. A fastener for uniting building elements comprising a base-engagingbracket, said bracket having a flat base-engaging section formed along,

one edge with a perpendicularly disposed extension, said extensionterminating at its outer end in an angularly bent wedge-shapedflange'disposed in parallel relationship with the base-engaging section,and a slide element having along one edge thereof a hook-shaped flangeengaged. with said wedge-shaped flange, the opposite edge portion ofsaid slide element being longitudinally flanged for engagement with agroove formed in an associated building element, movement of said slidelongitudinally of said wedge-shaped flange serving to vary the distancebetween the flange on said slide and said bracket.

7. A fastener for uniting building members comprising a bracket having abody, a projection extending laterally from said body, a second projection extending in the opposite direction from said body, awedge-shaped flange provided on said second projection and arranged insubstantially parallel relationship with said body, a slider membermounted for longitudinal adjustment on said wedge-shaped flange, and alateral projection provided on said slider, movement of said sliderlongitudinally of said wedge flange serving to move the projection onthe slider toward and.

away from said body.

8. A fastener for uniting building members comprising a bracket having abody, a projection extending laterally from said body, means provided onsaid body for engaging a portion of a wall frame and holding saidprojection in engagement with said wall frame, a second projectionextending in the opposite direction from said body, a wedge-shapedflange provided on said second projection and arranged in substantiallyparallel relationship with said body, a slider member mounted forlongitudinal adjustment on said wedge-shaped flange, and a lateralprojection provided on said slider, movement of said sliderlongitudinally of said wedge flange serving to move the projection onthe slider toward and away from said body.

9. A fastener for uniting building members comprising a bracket having abody, a projection extending laterally from said body, a secondprojection extending in the opposite direction from said body, awedge-shaped flange provided on said second projection and arranged insubstantially parallel relationship with said body, a slider membermounted for longitudinal adjustment on said wedge-shaped flange, alateral projection provided on said slider, movement of said sliderlongitudinally of said wedge flange serving to move the projection onthe slider toward and away from said body, and means formed on saidslider for facilitating the movement thereof on said flange.

HENRY HASEN'BURGER.

HARVEY WILEY CORBETT.

